On Friday, Oct. 15, 2021, a sitting U.S. president visited UConn for only the second time in the 140-year history of the institution. President Joe Biden came to Storrs for the dedication of The Dodd Center for Human Rights, which was founded in 1995 as the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. In the quarter century since, the center’s work has positioned UConn at the forefront of human rights scholarship and activism.

The other speakers on Friday included Gov. Ned Lamont, members of Congress, UConn Interim President Dr. Andy Agwunobi, a rabbi who survived the Holocaust, and more. Here, in its entirety, is the ceremony in which President Biden told UConn students theirs is the responsibility to ensure the United States lives up to the promise of its founding ideals.

“As we rededicate the Dodd center, let’s also dedicate it to future generations; let us dedicate and expand our shared understanding,” Biden said. “Let’s dedicate it to the students here in the audience today, who may discover and defend human rights as the passion and purpose of their life. Let us dedicate it to expanding our shared understanding, also help to ensure liberty and justice for everyone. And let’s dedicate it to the unending fight to bring our own nation closer to a future where every human being is free to pursue their highest dreams and reach their full potential.”